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Councillor Lesley Williams, Labour's leader on Gloucestershire County Council (L, Stonehouse) who proposed the motion, referred to the incinerator as a "large monster".

She said: "People just don't understand what's going on, and they do want to know.

"What we are asking is that we are as open as we can be about what's going on.

"It's not difficult - just stop it, stop it now so everything that can be known about it is known."

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Ubaser Balfour Beatty has already begun work on the £500million project despite an investigation being launched by the Competition and Markets Authority into the contract it holds with Gloucestershire County Council.

There have been years of protests by campaign groups and opposition parties concerned about the cost-effectiveness of the incinerator and its environmental impacts.

The Conservatives say the incinerator will save taxpayers £100million over its lifetime.

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Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council (LD, Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach), called the incinerator a "monstrosity" which will discourage recycling, and supported Labour's motion.

He said: "I believe the way in which the contract was drawn up for the incinerator leaves a lot to be desired.

"Things are being kept a lid on and covered up. We need to end this culture."

Javelin Park incinerator

The motion was defeated by 31 votes to 22.

So work will still go ahead with the incinerator as planned despite the ongoing investigation.

The Conservatives said the tendering process for the incinerator was fair and invited bids from companies around the world.

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Councillor Mark Hawthorne, leader of the council (C, Quedgeley), said the incinerator will be good value for money, and that it would be wrong to suggest halting the project now would not have a detrimental effect on taxpayers.

He said some tried to make May's county council elections a "referendum on the incinerator", but voters in Quedgeley wanted the authority to just get on with building it.

"As far as I'm concerned and the vast majority of residents in the county are concerned, this is a dead issue," he said.

"We're moving towards the site becoming operational in 2018. It's time we as a council we got onto that and moved on."

What the protesters said

Grandfather Martin Large was among those in the protest group this mornig.

He said: “I am appalled at the council's refusal to answer serious questions asked by councillors, businesses and citizens over 12 years about the incinerator value for money case, health and global warming effects.

"As a grandfather, Quaker and citizen I am compelled by my conscience to bear witness by this direct action today.

"I am willing to be jailed if necessary in the fight to get the incinerator cancelled forthwith, in order to save council tax payers £4.5m a year on this odious contract and to protect public health.”